


The king and the archbishop

by Kaithewolfgirl



Series: Fe3H shipping oneshots [7]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:14:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24049513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaithewolfgirl/pseuds/Kaithewolfgirl
Summary: Dimitri works too hard and gets sick. sucks to be him
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Fe3H shipping oneshots [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648780
Kudos: 22





	The king and the archbishop

It had been a hectic year for Dimitri. He had been crowned king of Faergus, a war-torn country needing to be put back together. He had also gotten married to none other than Garreg Mach’s archbishop Byleth.  
It had felt like he needed to be in ten places at once. Giving speeches in big cities, surveying agricultural land, auditing the accounts of the kingdom, and countless other tasks. Dimitri scarcely had time for his own thoughts or even sleep. Keeping his peoples morale up enough to recover from the war was of the utmost importance. And as their king, it was a job that only he could do.  
Byleth and Dimitri had been married just over a year. Dimitri, who had been up to his neck in work to do, was certain that his husband must only have it worse.  
Finally, however, things were beginning to settle down. The kingdom's key infrastructure had been mostly rebuilt and a bountiful harvest had come in. Budgets and long term goals for the kingdom had finally been settled for the year. Dimitri had carefully picked and placed advisors, making his workload far more manageable. A lot was still to be done, but Faergus was at least for the meantime stable.  
Dimitri was just finishing up a briefing with his generals. Their goals moving forward were to increase safety for Faergus’s citizens. They talked about moving forward with testing a city-specific force of soldiers trained to keep the streets safe.

After the briefing was finished Dimitri was taking a week off with his husband. There was a lot of fun to be had for royalty with leisure time. Which Dimitri had had none of in the past year.  
Dimitri was unexpectedly tired after the briefing wrapped up. He wondered if he had overexerted himself during his morning training. He didn’t think he had worked any harder than other days.  
That was alright. He planned to spend time with Byleth in his quarters with tea in hand.  
He must have overdone his training. Dimitri’s knees shook when he stood. Every muscle in his body ached.  
Byleth had been waiting in his room with some sort of treatise in hand. Seeing him approach, byleth tossed it aside and wrapped his arms around Dimitri’s neck. Soft but supple lips met his for an instant.

“How are you holding up, darling?” Dimitri asked when they separated.

“Just fine. Things are beginning to settle down at the monastery. I have Seteth watching things for the next while. How about you? You look tired.” Byleth reached out a hand to stroke Dimitri’s cheek  
“I could use a rest,” Dimitri replied they both flopped on this four-poster bed.  
“You feel hot, love. Byleth felt Dimitri’s forehead.  
“Oh, really.” Dimitri shrugged. That’s why he was so tired. This was the time of year for autumn touches of flu.  
“Let me send for some tea.” Byleth got up. “You need to rest. I’ll be right back.”  
Dimitri pulled off his clothes and crawled under the covers. He shivered.  
Byleth soon returned with a teapot and several teacups. Dimitri smelled chamomile.  
“Lucky you held out this long.” Byleth passed him a small, ornately adorned cup.  
“Thanks…” Dimitri took the cup and sipped, hands trembling. He could not taste the tea itself, but the heat from the water felt nice on his tongue.  
He felt Byleth wrap his red comforter around his shoulders and settle in next to him.  
A cool hand tucked some of Dimitri’s gold blonde hair behind his ear.  
“We’ve – we’ve barely seen each other.” Dimitri muttered. “The war ended a year ago. But-“  
He was wracked by a fit of coughing.  
Byleth hummed and rubbed his back. Byleth being his quiet, infinitely patient self.  
“I- I’m sorry prof- um, Byleth. It feels weird to use your name sometimes. I was wanting to show you around the castle, take you hunting, and other things. Have some fun together. The last thing you need is more work to do.”  
”It’s alright. There is still plenty of time for that. And all I need right now is some time with you.” Byleth whispered.  
Dimitri squirmed. Byleth put a hand on a shoulder to steady him. He put his teacup aside and slumped against a pillow.  
“I am fearful that if I fail. I’ll let them down. The living, and the dead. My father, Glenn, those of us who died during the war. What if I fail them? I have to go on, for them.” Dimitri muttered to himself more so than his husband. “I have given up living for the dead, but these people. All these people depend on me. “I can’t just lie here like this –“  
He was interrupted by more coughing. Shakily, Dimitri sat up and downed the rest of his tea.

“Dimitri, you’ve done plenty. You need some rest.” Byleth replied, gently yet firmly.

Dimitri sank into the mattress, cradling his husband's hand on his chest. Thoughts flitted around his head like small birds at dawn. He could not keep his eyes open and sank into a restless doze.  
The colours of his bedspread were so bright they burned into his eyes through his heavy lids. His hand covered his eyes. But instead, he grabbed his entire body. Here Dimitri was, laying in the grass beside castle Blaidd. Agitated Fodlaners swarmed around his feet, talking hurriedly to each other. There was something behind the blue curtain, going to come out of the sky.  
Dimitri’s body jerked and his eyes flew open. The room was dark. Evidently, the sun had set hours ago. A fire blazed on the other side of the room, but Dimitri still felt a little chilled. 

The large wooden door across from his bedside creaked open. Byleth appeared which a hot bowl of what smelled meat stock. The smell made Dimitris's stomach church. He really didn’t want anything to eat right now.  
He groaned.

“Even during the war, I don’t think I’ve seen you this pathetic looking.” Byleth sat down on the bed, soup in hand. “Can you sit up?” Dimitri reluctantly pulled himself into a sitting position.  
“I’m not hungry.”

“I had the chef add some medicinal herbs. You’ll feel better.” Byleth placed the bowl in Dimitri’s lap.  
Dimitri grumbled to himself.  
“Do I have to feed this to you myself?” Byleth dipped a large metal spoon in the soup.  
“Alright, alright, very well.” Dimitri took the spoon and swallowed with a large slurp.  
He got halfway through the bowl before putting the spoon down.

“I-I can’t eat anymore.” Dimitri sat the bowl down and shivered. “Darling?”  
“Yes?”  
“Lie down with me. Please?”

“Of course.” Byleth pulled off his black tunic and slacks, leaving him in a pair of cotton smallclothes.  
The bed shifted next to Dimitri and Byleth joined him under the sheets. Dimitri moved over to lay his head on his husband’s chest. An arm snaked around his shoulder.

“You came back to me. After five years.” Muttered Dimitri after a few minutes. “And you-you’ve been by my side ever since.”  
“mmh” Byleth muttered.  
“You won’t leave me ever again?” Dimitri asked quietly.  
“Never.” Byleth felt Dimitri’s forehead. “You are even hotter than before. Hopefully, the herbs kick in soon.”  
“I love you.”  
“I love you too.” Byleth leaned his head against Dimitri’s.

Dimitri rolled over, feeling Byleth’s cool breath on his cheek. He took Byleth’s hand from his shoulder and held it.

Rodrigue, at times, had been more of a father to him than his own son. However, that son was Felix. Felix made his own choices at that age. If it wasn’t for Rodrigue …  
Byleth’s slow breath sounded like the wind. A wind gaining greater and greater strength. Commoners buzzed around outside while trees snapped in two and flew into the sky. Dimitri felt warmth in his hand and clutched it more tightly.  
Voices from the war spoke to him.  
“Why did I die?”  
“What about my family?!”  
“How dare you survive?”  
They started as murmurs on the wind and grew to shouts and cries.  
“I can do nothing more for you!” he cried. “I live, but I live for you!”  
He could pick out who some of the voices belonged to.  
Glenn, who died senselessly all those years ago in the name of duty.  
Dedue, who was executed in his place.  
Annette who did not make it home from Enbarr.  
Countless others under his command.  
And poor Felix.

Wait. But wasn’t Felix alive?  
Felix was definitely alive. He visited Blaidd castle a mere week ago for a public works meeting.  
“I have to go upstairs,” Dimitri muttered.  
He walked several steps forward on legs that felt like jelly.  
Garreg Mach was below him. Uniformed students milled around below like ants. Seteth and Manuela were arguing next to him.  
In his old classroom was a pile of bodies. Some fresh, others with maggots and works coming out of their eyes.  
Bandits sifting through their pockets, taking anything of value. One of them took his family’s lance.  
Black sludge and slithering veins burst out through his boot. Hands were reaching up from the school, reaching for him. Heat suddenly enveloped his body.  
Weight bore down on his head. Something slithered across his forehead, down his neck.  
“’I’ve got you!” It hissed.  
Dimitri put his hand to his head to flick it off.  
“I’ve got you, I’ve got you, I’ve got you.  
It continued in Byleth’s voice.

Dimitri reached forward and grabbed a fistful of blankets. His long blond backs stuck to his sweat-slick forehead. His eyes were open, things weren’t shifting under his feet.  
He was on his side, legs tangled up in the sheets, Byleth looking down at him.  
“Bad dream?”  
Dimitri groaned. “Yeah.” He let go of Byleth’s hand that he realized he was still clenching.  
“Yeah.” Dimitri wiped the sweat from his forehead.  
“Looks like you’re fever’s broken. At least the medicine did its job.” Byleth said gently. He kissed Dimitris's forehead.  
“I keep hearing the voices of the dead. I heard them so loudly just now. Remember when I said I was going to live for myself? I still hear them, judging me.” he said quietly.  
Byleth laid next to him and wrapped his arms around Dimitri’s waist.  
“But don’t worry. I won’t go back to dwelling on the dead. But-it’s just I can’t shake this feeling.” Dimitri put a hand on top of Byleth’s.  
“Don’t blame yourself. No one’s death will have been for nothing. Live for yourself. You deserve to have some of your life for you.” Byleth buried his face into Dimitris back.  
“Yes… I haven’t forgotten that.”  
Dimitri lay still for several moments, enjoying his husband’s quiet presence. He focused on his slow, deep breathing.  
This was enough to slip back into dreams that were nonsensical rather than traumatic.


End file.
